OK, it's almost 1 a.m.

frazzledspice · #1 07-16-2008, 03:06 AM

I am trying to get tired enough so that I'll sleep no matter what.

My hubby has had a CPAP machine for six years, and, as I am nearing 60, I saw that I was not sleeping as well as I used to.

I had a sleep study done (don't even ask!) and discovered I need a CPAP machine, too. I used it last night for the first time.

Mine is more compact than his. Instead of having a mask, it has two little nubs that sit on my nose. But I slept very little. If I opened my mouth at all, everything would go kerfluey. If I didn't open my mouth, my mouth would feel really dry. I breathed in fine, but when I was breathing out I felt like someone had a hand in front of my mouth keeping my air from coming out. People have reassured me that I will get used to it and it will be wonderful, but I'm not so sure.

I figure if I wait until the point of complete exhaustion before going to bed tonight, I will, eventually, sleep.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #2 07-16-2008, 07:40 AM

ugh, that doesn't sound comfortable. I hope it gets easier quickly.

**hadassahchana**[$] · #3 07-16-2008, 08:21 AM

I hope you get used to it soon. I can tell such a huge difference in Mark when he uses his machine and when he doesn't. He's much more rested after using it, and I think you will be, too. Good luck, Frazz.

**taurusmoon** · #4 07-16-2008, 08:34 AM

I've been a hose nose for a bit over a year. You do get used to it and it makes a world of difference in how you function on a daily basis.

Give it about a week or two. You'll learn to deal with it.

Also, does your machine have a humidifier or the ability to attach one? I found that early on, using the humidifier made a big comfort difference. Now that I've gotten used to the therapy, the benefit is negligible, but in those early days? The moist air was a godsend.

Stick with the therapy. It really does work.

frazzledspice · #5 07-16-2008, 09:53 AM

I did better last night than I did the night before. It took me awhile to get to sleep, but I don't think I was as uncomfortable as I was the first night. My hubby has a mask that goes over his nose, but mine has these two little cushions that rest against your nose. Is that what you have, Sara?

Yesterday I was regretting that I didn't get the mask like his, but today I think that I can get used to the little cushions.

I was told my setting (10) didn't need a humidifier, but that they would add one if I wasn't doing well. My hubby's is a little higher (he said he thinks it's 11.5 now) but he says he does OK without one.

I'll just hope it gets better and better every day. Thanks for your encouragement.

**taurusmoon** · #6 07-16-2008, 10:16 AM

Yes, I have the nasal pillows. I actually like it much better than the full mask they used during the sleep study.

I'm set at 8 and I found that the humidifier was a big help alleviating the feeling of dryness you describe. I could always tell if I ran out of water in the tank in the middle of the night. Those were the nights that I woke up with a scratchy throat. When I remembered to refill the tank before going to bed I didn't experience any discomfort at all.

**amykhar** · #7 07-16-2008, 10:29 AM

Wow. I feel like I'm at work in this thread

When y'all go back for your next sleep study, make sure you tell them you hope they use SleepEx lab management software cause you hear the new stuff they are coming out with is the best.

**taurusmoon** · #8 07-16-2008, 10:41 AM

The only way I am ever going back for another sleep study is if I'm drugged and brought in there already sleeping.

Shudder.

**thinkerlady**[$] · #9 07-16-2008, 10:47 AM

On Monday my doctor posed the suggestion to me of a sleep study. I am not sure she is on the right track with me--so I haven't acted on the recommendation. What is the study like?

Magick1 · #10 07-16-2008, 11:53 AM

The study isn't that bad. (if you like sleeping away from home, hooked up to a lot of wires and a finger pulse-ox monitor, knowing that they are recording everything from the breathing, sleep jerks, rem, etc).

I am not a big person for them.

I have had a cpap since roughly 1996. Mine is is the huge mask over the nose...I dream of nose pillows (maybe). They sound like they would be better for a face deep in the pillow, sleeping on your tummy kind of girl like me.

One suggestion that I have (since mine doesn't have a humidifier thing either) is to use saline solution, spray it before bed and usually, that helps me quite a bit.

I feel for you getting used to the machine. I haven't been religiously wearing mine for quite a while (basically since the babester was born) becuase I was worried I would miss her whimpers or crying and not get to her in time. I think now that she's 5, I have been a bit more diligent wearing it, but I still am kind of random with it.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #11 07-16-2008, 02:03 PM

Is it me or is Sleep Apnea coming across as the new "depression" or "ADHD" or "[put in trendy diagnosis here]"? I don't mean to be treating your problems lightly, it just seems as though suddenly I know more than 30 people using CPAP machines nightly and it's like Hubby and I are the only ones who aren't!

Magick1 · #12 07-16-2008, 02:24 PM

Maybe it's just more understood, talked about and not so "taboo" for people any more allowing people to open up with the doctors and have tests completed.

It's hard to say, truly though.

**conradd** · #13 07-16-2008, 02:47 PM

Sleep technology is defnitely a fast growing field, with a national estimate of 50-70 million people affected by sleep related problems. The college I work for is starting their first cohort of 20 students in polysomnographic technology this summer. I'm currently examining labor market data for job availability in the field - prospects are good.

Frazz, hope you get used to it soon. Everyone I know who uses a CPAP has greatly improved their quality of life and I hope that will be true for you too.

frazzledspice · #14 07-16-2008, 08:11 PM

One reason I wanted to get a sleep study was because of my part-time job (unfortunately, the church where I am a pianist has STILL not found a new permanent pastor yet, and I promised I'd stay till they found one, although I am now working full time AND freelancing for a newspaper AND seeing my oldest piano student.) I found I couldn't stay awake for the message. Getting paid a pretty darn good hourly wage for being there, playing five hymns, an offertory, and a prelude, and falling asleep is awfully embarrassing.

When my hubby had his sleep study in 2002, I had to nag him into it. He'd stop breathing numerous times at night, and I couldn't sleep because I was never sure if he would start breathing again on his own (he always did, thank goodness.)

The CPAP machine has helped him a great deal.

I'm just glad that last night was better than the night before. The respiratory therapist called me up today and said maybe the machine needed a little adjusting, but I told her to wait another day....

**Helen_B**[$] · #15 07-17-2008, 02:40 AM

Quote:

frazzledspice said

I was told my setting (10) didn't need a humidifier, but that they would add one if I wasn't doing well. My hubby's is a little higher (he said he thinks it's 11.5 now) but he says he does OK without one.

Not using a humidifier for the CPAP machine is a major reason for non-compliance in use, which is probably why in Ontario they are only available with a humidifier. So, I have always used the humidifier. (I didn't think I would much like a dry throat and nose; I have enough sinus problems already.)

After months of being woken up once in a while with drops of cold water hitting my nose, I finally got a zip-on cover for the hose, so I wouldn't have "rain-out" which is what happens when the moist air condenses on the inside of the hose if the room temperature is too cool. Now, it's great. (I have a mask, and wonder if I would like the little nose thing better.)

**Helen_B**[$] · #16 07-17-2008, 02:52 AM

Quote:

mjfrombuffalo said

Is it me or is Sleep Apnea coming across as the new "depression" or "ADHD" or "[put in trendy diagnosis here]"? I don't mean to be treating your problems lightly, it just seems as though suddenly I know more than 30 people using CPAP machines nightly and it's like Hubby and I are the only ones who aren't!

Honestly, I think sleep apnea is the canary in the mine. I know a number of people using these machines, and I think this is a problem that is highly underdiagnosed. My question is: what's causing it in the first place, in so many people? I know overweight plays a part, especially as far as neck circumference goes. But losing weight doesn't always fix it. So why do so many people have this? It's like all the friends I have who developed asthma symptoms in their fifties. Is this just a function of aging, and now it's being diagnosed? It's a serious problem in children as well, causing symptoms from reflux to bed wetting.

There are so many conditions agravated or caused outright by sleep apnea that it is frightening: high blood pressure, edema, heart problems, overweight, it's scary to think about. When I realized how likely I was to run my car off the road from having a "micro sleep" while driving, I was terrified. People with untreated sleep apnea have higher rates of auto accidents.

After a month on a CPAP machine, I felt so much better. I regained hours in my day.

Dory · #17 07-17-2008, 08:14 AM

Can somebody explain all of this to me like you are talking to a child? I have never heard of these devices, and I don't know anyone who uses them. I have to admit, I was thinking the same thing as MJ. What the heck? Why do so many people need this, and what, exactly, does it do?

Is it a breathing problem? Snoring? Lack of sleep? And if any of these things, why does attaching some small pillows to the sides of your nose help?

Baffled.

Magick1 · #18 07-17-2008, 09:12 AM

Sleep apnea is when your body kicks you out of the deepest sleep that is possibly (and needed) to be well-rested, awake, happy and healthy.

The cpap is a continuous positive airway pressure (I think is what it's called) machine that pushes air into your nose as you sleep forcing your body to keep breathing because with apnea, you usually are not breathing deeply enough or regularly enough to keep your body filled with oxygen which forces your body away to keep you breathing enough.

I hope that makes sense...if not let me know!

frazzledspice · #19 07-17-2008, 09:17 AM

I did a little better tonight. Helen, I live in the South, and dry air is often caused by central heating. Maybe that's why in Canada they are almost always attached to humidifiers, while, here in the South, we sometimes have dehumidifiers in our homes.

I think that they recommend a humidifier when the setting is over a certain level, and my level is on the borderline for recommending a humidifier. But I'll get one if I have problems.

The CPAP machine doesn't really provide air, Dory. What it does is compress the air you breathe so that the obstruction to your breathing doesn't occur. The nose pillows or mask deliver the compressed air to you.

I think that probably sleep apnea has been around for a long, long time but wasn't recognized or treated. In my hubby's case, his breathing cessations were very noticeable. He's not heavy, but he does have diabetes and had had an angioplasty ten years ago.

My sister has a CPAP machine, too.

**taurusmoon** · #20 07-17-2008, 09:29 AM

Okay, sleep apnea 101:

Sleep apnea is a condition where you stop breathing during sleep. Not once, but repeatedly throughout the night. There are two possible causes of the condition. One is a disconnect in the brain that stops sending signals to breath. The other, more common cause, is a malfunction of soft tissue in your palate and throat. When you sleep, the tissue relaxes. But in the case of people with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, it relaxes to the point of closing off the air passages.

Fortunately, the brain will not allow the body to go without oxygen for too long so it sends a signal to to adrenal glands to wake you up so that you can breath properly. Now imagine this happening many times throughout the night. In severe cases this can happen nearly every minute.

The sleeper is generally not aware of this happening, but ask anyone who shares a bed with them and it can be quite disturbing with nightly episodes of snoring and gasping.

The impact on a sleep apnea sufferer's health can be devastating. Firstly, the quality of sleep is poor, as the sleeper never goes through the proper sleep cycles. The result can be any combination of daytime drowsiness, depression, and many other symptoms of sleep deprivation. I actually lost my sense of coordination to the point where I had to trade in my manual shift car because I couldn't handle driving it anymore.

Add to that list of issues a severe risk of hypertension, and heart attack caused by the constant release of adrenaline to jolt the sleeper awake and breathing. Plus, the metabolism slows down to a near hibernation state to protect the body from lack of sleep. So throw weight gain into the mix. Oh, and btw, excessive weight can be the underlying cause of sleep apnea in the first place. A very vicious cycle.

Next post: Diagnosis and treatment.

Dory · #21 07-17-2008, 09:33 AM

Interesting. Thanks, all.

I haven't noticed anything like this in myself, although I do have trouble sleeping sometimes and take a mild sleeping pill.

I have heard about people who can stop breathing when they sleep. I thought this was unfathomable, until one night, not too long ago (maybe a year?) I felt my body wake up because I felt like I was smothering, even though I was facing up. It was like someone was holding me back from breathing. I remember being in a deep sleep, then panicking and sitting bolt upright in bed and sucking in a huge amount of air in a single gasp.

That was the only time I experienced it, but I know for sure it was what people had been talking about, and now I know how easy it can happen. I am still mystified though, regarding myself. I don't think this happens to me all the time so I don't know if I should be worried about it or not. However, since the one scary incident, I have noticed there are times when my breathing slows down way too much when I am sleeping and I have to give myself a kick start.

**taurusmoon** · #22 07-17-2008, 09:57 AM

Diagnosis:

If you, your doctor, or your bedmate suspects that you might be suffering from sleep apnea, you are sent to a sleep lab to undergo a sleep study.

The study is done in two parts, either on separate nights or in what is called a split-night study.

Basically, you are hooked up head to toe with electrodes which monitor electrical and muscular activity in your body as you (attempt to) sleep. A microphone is taped to your throat to pick up snoring and choking sounds. And a video camera is trained on you to watch your movements and positions.

You are sent to bed looking and feeling like you're wrestling with the kraken and asked to sleep while a technician monitors from another room. Talk about performance anxiety!

If there is evidence of sleep apnea, you then enter the titration stage of the study which is held later that night or on another day. Basically, they hook you up to a cpap machine (more on that later) and asked to go back to sleep while the level of therapy is adjusted until the apnea is controlled to an optimal level. That will be your prescribed setting for treatment at home.

Treatment:

The cpap machine (yes, it stands for continous positive airway pressure) consists of a blower and a hose (think vacuum cleaner set to reverse) attached to headgear that is worn throughout the night.

There are two types of masks that can be worn with the headgear: one covers the entire nose and mouth, the other (nasal pillows) sits just under the nose and plugs the nostrils (kinda like ear plugs for the nose). The type you use depends on your comfort level and the type of breather you are (mouth or nose).

When the machine is on, it blows a prescribed amount of air down your throat via your nasal passages. This air pressure prevents your palate and throat from relaxing. Imagine your throat being tickled incessantly -- it just keeps tensing up. The result is that it keeps the airway open and free of tissue obstruction.

Some machines are designed to gather data that can be taken on a smart card to the doctor for him or her to assess both compliance and efficacy. As a data junkie, this is the part I love. I've actually seen my AHI scores (Apnea Hypopnea Index) decrease dramatically from 45 (considered moderate-severe) to 4 (5 or less is normal) under therapy.